Will Miss Kaci be welcomed home?

Last night, I dreamt I was hosting the Oscars. My monologue was turning out to be a boring disaster, so I decided that doing some aerobics would be more entertaining. I was finally allowed off the stage, away from the massive audience, and then I found myself talking to J LO, who comforted me and tried to reassure me I did a good job. Perhaps this dream was prompted by the fact that I had just watched the Miss Universe pageant.

Usually, I find these pageants just as boring as watching me doing aerobics, but I was too intrigued by Miss Jamaica Kaci Fennell, who was touted to be a possible winner of the whole thing. Unfortunately, Miss Fennell was 4th runner up, but she performed with beauty and grace. I was not alone in my support and curiosity.

Here is HalfWay Tree last night

When Jamaicans believe in something, they support it with full force. Waggonists, some people called them. This certainly happened with Miss Kaci, although there was the usual sniping that she was not dark enough, and that her costume did not adequately represent Jamaica. Check it out and for what its worth, as a foreigner, I was surprised at this choice, because carnival is certainly just a fraction of what Jamaican culture consists of, and it does not even restrict itself to the sacred green, gold and black

Also for what it’s worth, I find pageants troublesome with their objectification of women, their tendency to render multifaceted people into one dimension and their focus on perfection and unattainable goals. This was especially evident last night with the final questions, in which the women were asked questions that could never possibly be answered in the 30 seconds they were allotted. End violence against women? Send a message to “terrorists”? For the record, Miss USA said she would tell the terrorists all about America’s message of hope and love.

Miss Kaci appeared very nervous during these questions, but when asked what she thought Jamaica’s best export to the world was, she did all she had to do to win over the audience, which was mention Bob Marley and Usain Bolt. When she was announced as the 5th runnerup, there were loud boos, and the other contestants appeared to agree with this feeling, when they gathered around her at the end and lifted her up. Miss Colombia won, for the record. Poor Miss Kaci this morning posted a video asking if she could come home…I suspect Jamaicans, despite being waggonists, will welcome her home with the spirit they supported her with.

As for Miss Canada, she needs to be met with a new stylist and then deliver an apology to the nation for her hideous, misrepresenting, ridiculous costume.  Waaaahhhh, so embarrassing!